I.

Professional
lnevi.t~ple.

POCUS . QN TSE P~OPBR ISSUBS

hocke.y is an extremely fast and physical game.

Confronte;tion
ct concern recently is tl)e issue of fisticutfs/competiticm.

real
issue
Eilmination

is tbe illegal
ta.ctlc5
t.hat lead
to fisticuffs/confrontation.
of slaE!hing, .interference., spearing,
cross-checking
etc., thal
to frusttat:ion,
in conf rcnt at Ion , will r educe fisLicuffs

ACTIO~ '.l.'HAT .LEAPS

'l'O CONFRONTA'l'lON MUST BE DISTINGUISHED.

The
leaa1:1

good defensive

player

is never a detr i:nent to the game. Admirable defensive

skills are accepted
and condoned.
Bob Gainey is a Hall of 1oamer. There is a Qietinct ion, however,

between a good def,nsive

player leqltimat.ely
containing the opposition and a
player who resorts to the use of illegal tactics to contain a ski~led player.
Nevertheless,
H ts the ille9al
tactjcs
.that have increased
and these tactic&
"'h.ich have led to fr.ustration that results in a plolly~.c responding
in kin<).

* MARIO .LEIUX DID .NOT BREAK H:is_,HAND lN A _FIGHT.

The hand was broken by a
slash - a tactic that must be eradicated. When Mario Lemelux, Pavel Bute etc.
are injured tnrou9h illegal
tactics or respond in Jtitid then SCIJ!let.hing is "1rong
with the game.

* MR. BALDWlN PQES NO'!' DlSTINGUlSH _FlSTICUFli'S FROM SPEAQlNG, SLASHING, BU'f'T
ENDING AND CROSS-CHECKING. Speadn91
cross-checking,
butt
ending at e., a.re
defiberate
attempts to injure and ~et, the new propusal only exacts a five mif1Ut&
perJalty for such infi;actions.
These are th@ very infracttons/illegal tactics
that de111and a player be ejected
frnm the game.
The new propolial in &ssence,
rewards a player who slashes Math> Lemeiux with only a five minute penalty.
Fi~ticuffs and stickwork cannot ba lumped together.

'*

'1'.HE NORf'~!. AMERICAN (SYCHOLOCY

lH .SPORTS FAVOURS THE MAN WHO STANDS {JP FOR

E:IMSELF. He h applauded if he confrc{ ts a wror:ig. The issue comes down to what

kind .of ccnfrcntation
is desirabl.e? Ho~key players carry weapons. Is the player
who is frustrated
by ~llega~ t&JcH:._s ~o ~e:e~ond,_,_with
an accepted,
safe and
natural

release

of emotions

th ough

t:l(?t
-"\_

. .

'" W~ MUST REWA~O PLAYERS FOR GOOD

tl 1minate the pattern

cu1f, s'

r 1e he to resort

lo st.lckwor.k.

OND.UC'.1' AND

ENAL~UE THEM FO.R ILLEGAL CONDUQT~.

where the player must restra1n

of the game befQre he retaliates

or f I.gilts in frustration.
r ewar ded for not retal ii\ting
long he fore he has to.

nlm.self for a better

'l'he player

part

should

be

A player

who slashes or cross-ch~ck.1::1

or spears a playe1 etc. and theo who skates
away ~s of t en lab~lled
a disciplined
player
because
ho did not f.ight
when
cl1all.i!n9ed.
'!'.'his is a fllacy.
Thjs player should be ejected
for hl.s attempts
to hurt another
player

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-2--

'l'BE .UP.ECT ON . 'l'SE G.AME

ll_.

BOCICU

OP

rn -".: game of conf ront a t f on , where fist. icu r f s ia ptohibited,

plarers will re spoud
wi.ti1 stl.ckvo.r k when frus.trated.
The st Icxs will. come up.
The c.::irollary to this
.i.s 1::1at !<ice sh'ieldi;;
wlll 90 on.
Nubudy will he sedo1.q;ly hurt ini.t.i.tlly
bu c
offictals
rn.;,.y :-;,; m<:)re willii'il:J co let t.hiLHJS 30 because players will
still
need
ta batt:e fo:c te:rritory.
Ov1H lh!O' long run, se r Ious i~1jury (:3pinal)
11.ill occur
f r:om the lncreaaed u:-ae
cross-ct)ecks
~nd high ~t:icks in the nead ar.ea and fr(;m

oe

behind.
~ Wi'lEN '1'~.:::.Rf.'L... IS NO ~EAR THERE lS. _NO R~SP~IC'l' - wl:fEN THERE IS NO RESl>EC'1' THE_ RULtS
:.)0 ~O'!'_t~ATTEn. The game will slow dowti. Penal1.:ies will be calleq
all nigl)t, or

not c~lled - the highstiqkin9, interference,

U1e g:ur..e dcwn .

will

Irtjuries

slashinO and cross-check wilL slow

slo:w t ne game down, jeopatdi:te car ee r.s and cost

mtme_y.

WBA'i'

I~

.A

.li'!GH1.:'"t .

gpw

Wll:.L '!T

BE l)~F!NED?

How can

f;;ture?
lf fisticuffs
are prohibited
and two players
i~ it a fight1
ls it roughing? Ar~ they ej~cted7

one

fight

Uti:$C:lbe

with

their

it

i.n

gloves

the

on

-~- EXCl'l''..i:NG, FAST, l?liYSlCAL

CAMl:__ MAY 'URN !N'J'O A VJ:OLENT GAME.
There mst be
bett:e:r lisio11,
More sticJc~ork. a11d iLi.e9al
tactics
will create
a v Lo Len t game.
On .occa s ion,
du ri nq bac~,.,.to-back sequences of 94(!'tes, the last
five minutes
Ls
p::i.yb.ack >;l1tie er set.-1.1p time for t!':~ next ga111e. Stickwork
ma~ be the method ir.
the future ..

III.
'!'he:e has baen a

MAUE'l'lNG

r er.d t?ward tactical

intini~dation

arid illegal

lactlcs.

This

-.!.s .:tcknowledged
and ru Les have been promulgated
and lJ'.llplemented to r ect ! fy the
problem.
F!sl.:icu.ffa
have been addre:ssed L!'lrOuf#h t ne instigator
penally, e_jectiori
tor multiple ti9Ms, clearing
t he fislici;f.ts
~rea, and third mai1 in.
Stii:kwork

and illegal

tactics

must nov be addre:s:selj,

* Mk, BALDWIN 'rH.iS l!'lS'l'ICUF)S_ ANll ~SLASB'lNG TOG-E'.!IRtm AS BEBA\/lOCJR TEIAT PR.8VENTS
NHL HOCKEY

FROM CRoWING,

3tPF, . NH~

li\&.NS .

:B).vE

'otS'l'INGUISHEI> . lrISTICuFFS

Fl(QN

~J:A~~NG_: Spontaneou~ fisticu'(s. 1.s',A,~e"a,1 ht -'ftoekey fans a.a an oi.iuet of

eraor Ion 1 n an a99ress 1 ve sport an;;i 1 s accepted Dy the playez;s as part of the
9eme.

~' ETS'!' r_cuFFS

f?F

slashing

Wnereas,

f<.m;;;, phayers

er

ald stick

re la t ed fouls

.ts ONE !:''ACTOR AM9NG MANY TSAT _QIU;A~ES

!Aft>_tt2!i!1:.

have never

been accepted

by NHL

m.!ltlayeaie1it.

Hockey

fciris

s t.and

up

THE tJNlQ!}E!NESS

tor two occurrences

AND POPUI1ARITY

... goalsj and f if;it icuffs.

Q_f GAME WlLL BE.~!:<:::A'L'ED IF FYi'lCUFFS IS ELIMINA'l~ED.

The NHL pla:;s
(92%) capacity.
This i nd i cave s that aeaaon licl(etholders~
the casual fan, and sports fan i n 9e~1eral like the gat.J,e as is.
It is highljsl<.ill;;;d,
aggres.sive ano a [j<.;ua product.
NHL faos enjoy it Live a.pd on TV_.
W!:ffiLKI~D

t~i niru~!.;.y-twi:percent

Sev~nty

seaso~i t ickeLholdec:a
view spontaneous
tisticufl:'s
as
Tbey de; not want to ~ee cros~checking,
nii;,hstickin9,
behav i o r , 'Jet:. it has increased.
If flsticuifs
are
f~ne '.iii 11 see mure er what he or she does not want to pay iot.

ps r cen t

a.::c.eptable

! 70'6) of

aggrE!ssion.
slashiri~ and premeditated
?:er:ilc'ied

the

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* THE. NHL.._ GAME WILL Rl!lSEMBLJ!l EURO.f.~AN HOCKE~ I.F FtSTICUFFS ARE REMo\f"ED.
Europeans
sell the it 9ame either
'li ve or on TV. Th1s is the ver.r reason
1.11hy all European teams want NHL parU.cipat.iol'l
in tt'\eir tournaments.
Whil&
the
RHL has adapted ma11y tl)ings frcr11 Lhe t:uropean game L!\at are good, Europeans have
adopted the physh~al part of the NliJ,.. 9ani.e. There are bigger,
stronger
Europeans
joining
1..h~ NHL every year. t re , Ulf Samuellson).

c:annqt-

.!.

T:fJ~ ArTRAC'rION TQ NII;'... HOCK!!;~ IS THE S!IC.L AND PHYSICALITY

fans
regard
l:loclc:ey players as more s)l;illed than those
According to the Goldfarb Report, NHL t1ock~y is not accepted

not

af

as

a result

of

a oisLaste

for

fisticuffs

ma r ke t ad weJ l

tiave never

enough.
How can people
seen the gamt;?

be turned

but,
off

o~ 'l'HE SPORT.
snr,
a.ny other
spor t,
in ie. Ne' Mexico

because NHL hockey is not

by a boo.key fjght
if they

* 'l'Mf,;~E _! . .. A COMMON M.1SCONCEPTION THA'i' 11HE NHL CANNOT ATTRACT A NATIONAL T'V
.Q!!!RAC'l' AS A RESULT .OF FISTTCUFFS.
Yel Mol&l,)OS, whu is a fr.nch!se
owner, a TV
p roducer and ll Right!! holdet want f.islicuffs
in the game. Joel Nixon stat.e'3 that
"r.o network executive
ever t..old 111111 t ha t :t:ist.icuffs
was an impedimeut
to a
Natjorial
'fV Contract."
The Hockey ?,Jews, July 13, 1992.

IDEN'l'.iTY OF PLAYERS WlLL BE LOST,

!F
flJS'l'ICUFFS ARE .ELIMINATED STICKS. WlT.L_ GO
..
... .
UP . . f:A.~.~ MASKS AND SHIELDS WILL GO ON.
To 111arket the KHL game players
must be

''

recognized and this will not occur if

IV.

th&y are wartng face mask$ and shields .

COllCLOSIOll

The National Hocl(ey League has ma.de ir.ctemental cnanges vl~-a-vis fisticuffs in
the past and based on their
success shou Ld cont i.nua to do ac , The League must
make drastic changes in i Uegal tactics and stickwork.
A drastic
change based
simply on cn1pirical $tudy wHhol.lt so much as a feasibility
study is too risky.
This is a business.
With player sa l e.ri as and costs increasing exponf)ntially
some
rnembec clubs are riding a tenuous I Lne between fiscal failure and success.
This
is not the time co experiment.
E 1 i~inat ion of ~st ic:uffs may be a disaster
fos:
the National
Hackey League and once Eemovea will be impOssible lo reinstate
\./ithout a media backlash.
"'I
~ -... - 1 1 ~

i i a\~~

Hockey fans have told us In <Jol. Utb

ko~t want in the game. ~he fons
1.ike our game, a sklllful,
ptlj7s i c\1~c,J.ime where a Ls"pontaneous fight
is acceptal:>le
and 1,1xciting.
The f.ani; want to el.im1nate
the
preMeditatad
bE!havi()ur.
Spontanequs
fi9hting
has alw~ys been an accepted part of our basic product.
'l'he
prernecli~ated
behavlout:
ie. tt1e "hil"
man and the stick
wotk are a ptoducl;
of
e xpans Ion. and it has cont Inued to grow. 'rhe basic product must not be cnanqed ,
Thete is too much risk to our busines=:o. The issue is to remove the unacceptable
prellled.ita.ted t;>~haviour not to change i.ne t;rt)duct
and risk unkriowi:1ila1aage to the

business .

NHL0016001